In most cases, when people set rat traps, the animals die from poisoning or a broken spine when caught in the rat trap. However, if your traps are boxes and buckets that the animal can get into but cannot get out of, then you need to decide how to humanely and quickly kill it. In this article you will learn about what to do if you catch a rat and how to kill it, the better way to kill it so that it does not suffer.
IMPORTANT! Under no circumstances should you show children scenes of the killing of any animals, including rodents. This can seriously traumatize their fragile psyche! Only a trained person can kill a rat without consequences. Usually this is an adult man with a tempered psyche, who is confident in what he is doing, because... wants to protect his family, home and supplies from pests.
Nutrition and vital activity
Rats, like other rodents, are nocturnal, but as their numbers increase, you may encounter them during the day.
If we look at the Pasyuk’s diet, we will see that animal feed makes up 33-38%, vegetables – 14-15%, grain feed and bread – 48-52%. They eat best fish or minced meat and porridge. The most preferably eaten grains are oats and wheat. Corn, barley and millet are much worse for rats to eat.
The question arises, which folk remedies for rats should we choose? Let's consider everything in order: physical (mechanical), biological and chemical methods.
Preparations based on phosphides
This group includes products based on zinc phosphide, magnesium phosphide and aluminum phosphide, of which the first is zinc phosphide. All of them react with moisture in the air, releasing phosphine, a poisonous gas that kills rats (as well as all other mammals and insects that find themselves in the treated area).
Phosphides are also dangerous for humans and all domestic animals, and therefore their use in residential premises is strictly prohibited. They are used only in industrial enterprises, in workshops from which all workers have previously been removed.
So if you read somewhere that phosphides (or phosphine) are excellent at killing rats, then buying such products for use at home would not be the best idea.
Physical (mechanical) method - 5 useful techniques
In the current unstable economic situation, this folk remedy is the simplest and least expensive. The owner of the house just needs skill in installing traps and crushers for catching rats, as well as various tricks.
There is a large selection of fishing gear on sale. What I would like to recommend first of all:
- When choosing a crusher or rat trap, look at the elasticity of the spring and the weight of the wooden or metal base to which the spring mechanism is attached.
- The spring should be tight and charge with force. This will allow for a more lethal effect when triggered. There should be no gap, or it should be minimal, between the activated spring and the surface to which it is attached.
- The base for the rat trap must be stable both in area and in weight. When the spring is activated, so that the rat trap does not bounce.
- And the most important thing is to constantly change the bait, as well as the position of the rat trap and be able to disguise it . Then you will achieve results.
- A positive effect can be achieved by “flooding” rat holes with water or digging up a garden plot. Rats make shallow passages between burrows, so you can disrupt their livelihoods by digging up the ground.
Repel mice from the site: 6 ways
The cat is the enemy of the mouse, the friend of man
A time-tested way to get rid of a mouse is to get a cat.
The cat is a reliable ally in this difficult struggle. She doesn't just hunt mice. Cats leave their droppings and fur on the property, thereby spreading the smell. The mice won't disappear completely, but their numbers will be reduced so much that you won't notice them anymore. True, it takes time for a cat to achieve a noticeable result. Perhaps more than one summer season.
Plants that will help drive mice away from your dacha
The smell of mint, tansy, chamomile, white sweet clover, wormwood, and coriander is very unpleasant for mice.
They are generally sensitive to strong odors. It would be a sin not to take advantage of this! We push rags moistened with mint oil (cologne or ammonia) into the burrows. We place tansy or chamomile flowers on the beds. We plant coriander (aka cilantro) under the trees. And the mice will no longer want to live in such conditions. Red and black elderberries are excellent at repelling mice. Its roots produce hydrocyanic acid, a toxic substance for mice. Therefore, where elderberry grows, mice do not settle. Plant an elderberry bush near your shed or compost pile. The number of fluffy and other pests will decrease before your eyes. Many gardeners tie young fruit trees with elderberry branches for the winter to protect them from mice. However, remember that a person may be allergic to elderberry. Before using it against mice, it would not hurt to test yourself and your children for sensitivity to this allergen.
In addition, rodents do not like plants whose seeds cling to their skin. Burdock, burdock, and blackroot (rat beetle) greatly spoil the life of mice, so they avoid them. And black root, on top of everything else, is terribly poisonous. It is dangerous both fresh and dry. That is why in the old days rat traps were placed in attics and basements to preserve supplies.
Repellent devices
Modern technologies offer their own option on how to get rid of mice in the country or at home.
We are talking about ultrasonic repellers. While working, they produce ultra-high frequency sounds. People, dogs and cats can’t hear them, but rodents have a hard time. Many repellers do not require an outlet and operate on batteries. There are solar-powered garden rodent repellers. They are designed to work outdoors, stick into the ground and change the frequency to make it difficult for mice to adapt.
In addition to ultrasonic ones, electromagnetic and combined repellers are also available for sale. But they are mostly intended for indoors, and cope well with rodents living in walls, ceilings and partitions.
Perhaps this method of combating furry pests is good for everyone, except for one thing - you will have to fork out the cash, because good devices are not cheap.
Homemade repeller will help get rid of mice
Don't want to spend your hard-earned money? You can test a mechanical repeller made from a plastic bottle or aluminum can. It's easy to do it yourself. In a 1.5 liter plastic bottle (or jar) we make several U-shaped cuts. We bend the blades and attach the bottle to the metal pin vertically or horizontally. It turns out to be a pinwheel. We stick several of these pinwheels into the ground throughout the area. The wind spins the bottle's blades, creating vibration. The vibration goes through the pin into the soil. Rodents are not friends with vibration and will prefer to move away.
Biological method - a traditional folk remedy for fighting rats
This folk remedy for fighting rats involves keeping specialized breeds of cats or dogs in the house, which can become biological enemies of rodents. Not all cats and dogs decide to fight rats, since they are larger and more aggressive than other synanthropic rodents.
This folk remedy for fighting rats is ineffective, as it depends on your pet who lives in your house. But sometimes it gives its results if you alternate it with other methods.
Ultrasonic repeller
Rat repellers
Manufacturers of the device claim that the ultrasonic rodent repeller is safe for humans and can be used both in the apartment and in the country. It produces ultrasonic waves that cause fear and discomfort in small animals and insects. Small mammals cannot reproduce, behave restlessly, and lose their appetite. As a result, the pests escape from the house they have captured.
On a note!
Electronic controls affect pets. They are also sensitive to ultrasound.
The most effective repellers are the following:
- Pest Reject, China;
- GRAD A-1000 PRO, Russia;
- Elektrokot, Russia;
- Clean House, Russia;
- VK-600, Belgium;
- VK-330, Belgium.
Using the device is safe for humans. But not all brands cope with their task equally. It is better to choose equipment in a specialized store and not buy the unit “second hand”. The device has a drawback - some individuals are able to adapt to the emitted waves.
Chemical method - 8 ideas for independent struggle
You can expect more tangible results from this method if used correctly.
In the folk recipe there are a lot of methods for using available food and industrial chemicals or using plants with toxic properties to get rid of rats:
- A good result comes from adding construction putty to various cereals, as well as porridge. When eating this bait in the stomach and intestines of pasyuks, this building material hardens, which causes the death of rodents.
- It is also advisable to add medical or construction plaster. Freshly prepared bait is placed in places most frequently visited by rats. The effect is fatal when food enters the gastrointestinal tract of rodents.
- Extruded food, which quickly swells and is eaten by rats with pleasure, is of great attractiveness to rodents. You can add baking soda or boric acid to these feeds. The effect of this bait will not be long in coming. Both of these components, when ingested, will enter into a chemical reaction with gastric juice, and the gas released will poison the rats.
- Minced meat can also be used as a base for bait. Minced meat, of course, is a little expensive for these purposes, but freshly prepared minced fish is very suitable for mixing it with ash. If ingested by a rat, this mixture will also lead to the death of the bees.
- In addition to the bait method, folk remedies for fighting rats use treatment of rodent burrows with bleach, which can easily be found in any home.
- Found rat holes can be treated with kerosene or diesel fuel, but this only applies to those rodent holes that are located outside the house. Fire safety measures must be observed.
- Exhaust gas, which is produced when an internal combustion engine is running, can be released into rat holes. When gas appears from other holes, they must be trampled down to achieve the poisoning effect.
- Calcium carbide can be used with caution. By placing it in a hole and watering it with water, the carbide will begin to decompose, releasing acetylene, which irritates and affects the respiratory tract.
Ratobor baits: instructions for use
Bait (pellets, dough briquettes, grain) is laid out on substrates made of dense material (tin lids, cardboard boxes, plastic containers, trays, etc.) in places where rodents are likely to appear or appear (along walls, near burrows). The interval between baits is 2-4 m, depending on the area of the room and the number of rodents. The placement of baits is repeated after 7-10 days until the rodents completely disappear.
The drug is produced in a box (50 g), bags (50, 100, 250 g), a feeding container (200 g), a zip lock bag (200 g).
For ease of use, the rodenticide is also packaged in special Double box containers, which themselves serve as a stand for the bait. This form of packaging increases the palatability of the grain “filling” and protects it from being taken away by animals. The contents of a double container weighing 200 g are enough to treat a room of 20-30 sq.m.
How to get rid of rats using folk remedies (plants)
- Blackroot (ratweed) is a poisonous plant that can be found everywhere, it grows like a weed. This plant, namely a decoction of crushed root, causes suffocation. An infusion of ratwort root is mixed with well-eaten food for rats.
- Swamp wild rosemary is a plant that repels rats with its smell and creates unbearable conditions for their life.
- Wormwood and peppermint - these plants are recommended to be planted in a personal plot, and dried plants can also be laid out in the house in places frequently visited by rats. These plants scare away and cause the beekeepers to flee.
- Elderberry and tomato tops are plants that contain solanine (a poisonous glycoside). The specific aroma of these plants causes panic in rats, rodents leave the house.
- Tansy - under the influence of the aroma of this plant, rats stop breeding and subsequently disappear from the territory inhabited by them.
- Essential oils of camphor and other plants, more resistant to fresh or dried plants. It is better to use essential oils to repel rats, as they stay on the surface longer and produce results.
- Tobacco – this plant can be planted in your garden; rats do not like to be near tobacco. The use of smoking tobacco (shag) gives a greater effect. Shag can be scattered throughout the house where rats have been seen. It is recommended to periodically wipe the floor with the prepared tobacco infusion.
Drowning
Another of the easiest ways to kill a caught rat is to drown it. If you catch a pest in a bucket or barrel, you can cover the animal with a thick rag and put a heavy object on top so that the rat does not jump out. Then simply fill the container with water.
But here you will have to try to ensure that the rodent is well pressed to the bottom, because, sensing the approach of death, it can get a surge of strength and try to escape from under the load, so it is recommended to press the rag with a stick and hold it there for several minutes until it choke and die. You can simply pour the dead animal out of the bucket and prepare a trap for subsequent rodent catching.
conclusions
- First of all, localize the area where rodents are active.
- Experimentally select their diet by determining what they eat more often
- Based on the priority products, prepare poisoned baits
- Constantly change the placement of fishing gear and camouflage them to match the surrounding environment
- You cannot expect an effect from only one folk remedy; you need to change them periodically or combine them. Rats are “intelligent” - they immediately identify an object that is dangerous for them.
Precautions when installing baits
While installing baits, it is prohibited to drink, eat, or smoke; Be sure to use gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap after work. If accidentally swallowed, induce vomiting within 30 minutes by allowing the victim to drink 10-12 tablets of activated charcoal with 3-4 glasses of water. Store and use the product in places inaccessible to children and pets.
Over a long period of existence, rodents, and especially rats, have learned to recognize and ignore toxic substances that humans use to exterminate them, which is why strong, fast-acting poisons have not been used for this for a long time.
The composition of modern rodenticides is constantly being improved, and the new generation of drugs exhibit their deadly effect slowly and imperceptibly, but much more effectively.
If you are quite tired of the unwanted proximity to mice or rats on your property, choose products from the Ratobor series and be sure: not a single rodent will disturb your peaceful holiday outside the city.
Classification of poisonous agents
Poisonous agents can be divided into the following groups:
- Sprays are contact preparations applied to areas where rodents move.
- Creams. These products have a much higher concentration of toxic substances, which is why they can be considered more effective than sprays.
- Powdered preparations act together with a taste bait. The powder is added to food and thus enters the intestines of rodents, causing irreversible effects in their bodies.
- Pills. These products are designed to be consumed without a dietary supplement because they contain flavoring agents to attract rats and mice.
Poisonous agents can also be divided according to the principle of their effect on animals:
- Some poisons affect the digestive system of rodents, entering their bodies along with food. Animals are not able to empty their stomachs, since the drug suppresses their emetic effect. The need for food in rodents disappears, and they die from exhaustion.
- Other poisons negatively affect the blood supply system, thinning the blood of rodents, which leads to internal bleeding.
- Other types of poisons negatively affect the skeletal system. First, the poison destroys bone tissue, and then the entire body.
- Some poisonous drugs affect the nervous system of parasites. The main active components here are arsenic and zinc. These elements can cause oxygen starvation and exhaustion of the nervous system. When a rodent tastes such a treat, it will become disorientated and ultimately die.
It is impossible to give precise recommendations regarding the quality of poisonous drugs; they affect animals differently, and this depends on several factors. It should be remembered that if you decide to use tablets to bait rodents, do so immediately after purchasing them, since their shelf life is very limited.
When baiting rodents, try to limit their access to water. When the drugs begin to take effect, rodents become very thirsty, but they should not be given this opportunity. Powdered poisons are mixed with grain and sunflower oil is added.
Remember that poisonous drugs are toxic and can be dangerous to people and their pets. When laying out the poison, make sure that your children will not be able to get to it. Be sure to find and destroy the corpses of dead rodents, they may well cause poisoning of domestic animals, and besides, uncleaned corpses are clearly unsanitary.
Here mummifying drugs can come to our aid, reviews of which, however, are quite contradictory. The release form of such poisons is a tablet. Their price is significantly higher than the price of conventional drugs. The principle of these drugs is that they suppress the proliferation of bacteria, which has a preservative effect on tissues.
It is known that the smell from dead animals lasts up to several weeks, and manufacturers of mummifying drugs claim that after using their drugs the smell will not bother you. But the composition of these products excludes preservatives, so how the preservation process will take place is completely unclear.
In addition, the mummification process takes time, and it must take place under certain conditions. These conditions, of course, cannot be met in the basements of houses.
Tips and recommendations for choosing methods of deratization at home
Measures against rodents should not adversely affect human health, so they are different for different premises.
10 ways to catch a rat in a house or apartment
Living spaces
In rooms where people are constantly present, preference is given to various types of deterrents and traps. Domestic predators can be of great help here.
Before starting a systematic fight, it is necessary to strictly limit the access of rodents to food products, it is necessary to identify places where rodents accumulate, cover up all suspicious holes and cracks with a mixture of concrete and broken glass, check ventilation shafts for the presence of rat nests, and replace the grilles with them. It is very important that rodent control is carried out in all residential areas at the same time.
Animal sheds
In utility rooms where animals and birds are kept, toxic substances, as well as various types of traps, will have to be abandoned. Here, products such as wood ash, fumigation with burnt wool, and burdock scattered on the floor are better suited here.
5 Best Ways to Get Rid of Rats in Your Shed For Good
Attics and basements
In rooms that are rarely visited by people and have a large area, killing rat traps have proven themselves, and potent poisons are also used here.
Sheds and garages
In utility rooms they use strong-smelling substances, traps, and traditional methods of killing rats (gypsum, dry putty, soda). It is possible to use smoke bombs.
Where are they started?
Rats enter human homes in various ways:
- through ventilation ducts, cracks;
- through entrance doors or windows located on the 1st floor above the basement;
- They move along risers or sewer pipes, and then end up in the bathroom or toilet, so they end up even on the second floor and above.
Rats often end up in private wooden houses, outbuildings, garages or animal sheds.
The issue is especially acute with the arrival of cold weather, when all the rodents are looking for a warm shelter.
Considering how they penetrate, it becomes clear that no one is safe from such an invasion.
